Meanings
plural timpanis · alternative tympani
- entertainmentThe set of precision kettledrums in an orchestra.
Since the timpani is a legato instrument, a note must be allowed to sound and ring to achieve the full effect of the drum.
2010, Steven L. Schweizer, Timpani Tone and the Interpretation of Baroque and Classical Music, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 38Synonyms: kettledrums, naker, temple drums, timps
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe set of precision kettledrums in an orchestra.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna large hemispherical brass or copper percussion instrument with a drumhead that can be tuned by adjusting the tension on it
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekτύμπανον
- Latintympanum“drum”
- Italiantimpani
- Englishtimpani
Borrowed from Italian timpani, plural of timpano (“drum”), from Latin tympanum (“drum”), from Ancient Greek τύμπανον (túmpanon), from τύπτω (túptō, “to strike, to hit”). Doublet of tympanum, timbre, timbal, and tymbal.
More words from Italian, Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 定音鼓
- 定音鼓 (dìngyīngǔ)kettledrums
Czech tympány
- tympánykettledrums
Dutch pauk
- paukkettledrums
Esperanto timbalo
- timbalokettledrums
Finnish patarummut, timpani
- patarummutkettledrums
- timpanikettledrums
French timbales
- timbaleskettledrums
German Pauke, Kesselpauken
- Paukekettledrums
- Kesselpaukenkettledrums
Hungarian üstdob
- üstdobkettledrums
Irish tiompán
- tiompánkettledrums
Italian timpani
- timpanikettledrums
Japanese ティンパニ
- ティンパニ (tinpani)kettledrums
Persian تیمپانی
- تیمپانی (timpâni)kettledrums
Polish kotły
- kotłykettledrums
Portuguese tímpanos, timbales
- tímpanoskettledrums
- timbaleskettledrums
Romanian timpane
- timpanekettledrums
Russian лита́вры
- лита́вры (litávry)kettledrums
Spanish tímpano, tímpanos
- tímpanokettledrums
- tímpanoskettledrums
Vietnamese trống định âm
- trống định âmkettledrums
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
timpani. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/timpani
“timpani.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/timpani. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “timpani,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/timpani.
Source: timpani on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.